Disneyland Paris: Four Unique Can't Miss Attractions

I'm so excited to tell you about the Disneyland Paris attractions that I have not experienced anywhere else. I made sure to hit these four attractions at the start of the day so I wouldn't run out of time and miss them. I'm happy to say they all lived up to my expectations.

Ratatouille: The Adventure at Disneyland Paris. Photo credit: Disneyland Paris Website

Of the unique attractions at Disneyland Paris, the ride at the top of my list is Ratatouille: The Adventure. Using scenery, giant props, projection, and 3D screens, this trackless ride makes riders feel as if they're shrunk down to rat size. Hungry Ratatouille and his buddies scurry over Paris rooftops, through Gusteau's kitchen, dining room, and even inside the wall. The rats are quickly discovered by Chef Skinner and must navigate through the busy kitchen to gather food, while being chased. Under the stove feels warm and smells like fresh bread. As riders enter the refrigerator, it feels chilly and smells like the giant prop oranges to their left. I regret only riding once but won't have to travel quite as far to shrink down to rat size again- a similar ride, Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure is coming to Disney World in Summer 2020!

Bob's Fish Mart ad in Crush's Coaster queue. They're located at 44 Wallaby Way, making them P. Sherman's neighbor.

Crush’s Coaster is a very popular ride at Disneyland Paris. I know because we saw people running to the queue at rope drop. The interior part of the queue is themed as a harbor town called Angel's Cove. It's perpetually just past dusk and the low light lends an eerie feeling. Riders are seated in an upside down turtle shell that swivels as they travel up, down, and sideways through the Great Barrier Reef. It’s a mostly indoor track which is sometimes really dark. I found it a little too thrilling, especially facing backwards on a steep climb, with no shoulder restraints, not knowing when I'd reach the top. Because half the dialog is in French (and I was busy trying to stay in the shell), I can't recall a lot about the story. It played like a Nemo movie: fun, danger, escape. Even for a ride wimp like me, this was definitely worth experiencing at least once.

La Tanière du Dragon. Photo credit: Disneyland Paris Website

La Tanière du Dragon (The Den of the Dragon) sits under Sleeping Beauty's Castle at Disneyland Paris. This walk-through attraction takes you into a dank and cavernous prison where a dragon is chained up. The large dragon is in constant movement as it goes through periods of sleeping restlessly to angrily roaring at passers by. With it’s eyes lit up, moving head, and smoke, it’s just the right amount of creepy.

Alice's Curious Labyrinth is a walk-through hedge maze at Disneyland Paris. It's perfect for kids who need to run off steam as well as folks who want a break from waiting in lines. The way it's designed, you can't really get lost and dead ends are never too far out of the way. Alice in Wonderland characters can be found around every corner, perfectly positioned for photo ops. The Queen of Hearts even pops up and bellows "Off with her head!" At the end of the attraction, there's a tower kids can climb and get a view of the maze from above. This attraction is a quaint example of the way Disneyland Paris is able to bring stories to life with ease and simplicity.

A number of attractions were closed for refurbishment while I was at Disneyland Paris, but the ride I was most bummed to miss was Indiana Jones and the Temple of Peril- it's an Indy roller coaster! If you've experienced this ride, I'd love to hear about it in the comments below.